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2 | • Powerful Preaching• Seasons of Prayer

3 | • Warm Fellowship• Workshops• Discussions• Consecrated Music

4 | • Numerous Activities• Looking AheadJoin the IBFNA

5 | Tape Order Form

6 | New MembershipSystem Began . . .

6 | Directory Changes

7 | Resolutions 1 & 4

8 | Resolution 2

9 | Resolution 3

10 | A Unique Fellowship

11 | Membership Form

12 | Coming Events

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������������������� ���by P. W. Gustine

Many members of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America andother attendees treasured the Ninth Annual Family Bible Conference in KansasCity. They returned to their churches and ministries with renewed vision andencouragement. June 22-24 were busy days filled with powerful preaching,consecrated music and warm fellowship. The Adam's Mark Hotel, whichlooks down on the Kauffman Stadium of the Royals and Arrowhead Stadiumof the Chiefs, was a lovely site for the gathering.

Kansas City was a timely place for this conference because one hundred yearsago another wonderful spiritual event with elaborate plans took place in thecity. Unfortunately, it came to a sudden end because D. L. Moody's healthbroke down in his last campaign, November 16, 1899. He was taken by trainback to Northfield, MA, where on December 22 he said, "Earth recedes;Heaven opens before me."

Evangelist’s Appeal . . .It was fitting, then, that five evangelistsaddressed the conference. Dean Myers,Grand Rapids, Ohio, challenged theyouth each evening. Calling for acontinuing faithfulness in the expositionof the Bible from II Timothy 3:14, JackMount, evangelist with the Bill RiceRanch, Murfreesboro, TN, applied theScriptures to define the proper relation-

ship of truth, unity and love. He gave illustrations of some who have departedfrom these Biblical standards for obedience. Charles Kempf, Fremont, MI,made a stirring appeal for courage and faith to fight the Lord's battles today(I Samuel 17). He called on the Fellowship to exalt Christ in everything and toaccurately represent Him. A warning about the spirit of Diotrophes in missionscame from Mark Nelsen, Church Planter (BWM), La Rochelle, France. FromIII John and Acts 13 he developed the pattern of the Holy Spirit guiding themissionary and his accountability to the commissioning church and supporting

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"Don't assumeyour missionary isstarting a Baptist

church!"Mark Nelsen

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TREASURE FROM KANSAS CITY, continued

churches. The missionary's work was summarizedfrom Ephesians 4:11-16. His final warning was "Don'tassume your missionary is starting a Baptist church!"

And Carlos DiLeo, Church Planter, Montevideo,Uruguay, gave Biblical principles for doing damage toSatan's strongholds. Hestressed decisive action to dothe will of God which requiresa separatist position in deedand word (I Kings 17:1-14).He urged that cultural barriersshould be knocked down toshow the grace of God inhelping each other do God'swork (II Cor. 8:1-5). Hepleaded for prayer about one's friendships (Ps. 119:76-79). Every faithful servant of the Lord must let Godchoose his friends. One's friends must be those whofollow God in doctrine and practice. Otherwise one'sfriends may be a danger to obedience to God.

Powerful Preaching . . .There was good preaching. With a strong combinationof theme and topics, matched together with seasonedpreachers from near and far, no previous conferencecould boast of a better program. Other contributions tothe theme, Unconventional Warfare, came frompastors. The Keynote Address by Richard Harris,Sellersville, PA, from II Corinthians 10:1-11 started

with an analysis of theApostle Paul's circum-stances and message to theCorinthians. In applying thelessons from Paul heidentified the enemy'sweapons against the saintsand the weapons providedby the Lord.

William Darrow, Milwaukee, WI, walked the assem-bly through an overview of the spiritual battle fromLucifer's "I wills" to the "It is finished" by the Lordand Savior, Jesus Christ. With this perspective dailyskirmishes can be faced claiming the victory in Him.Giving sound exposition of Jude 20-21, Laurence

Brown, North Conway, NH, reminded all hearers oftheir personal spiritual responsibility. The vital ele-ments in maintaining spiritual vitality are recognitionof one's position in Christ and obedience to the Wordof God.

Moderator Charles Dear, Philadelphia, PA, had tostand in for Martin Masitto, West Chester, PA, becausehe needed to stay at home to support Leo D'Arcangeloand his family. (Brother Leo went home to be with theLord on Sunday, June 27, right after the conference.)Dear identified the worthy battles as those for theLord's honor and name (I Samuel 17). He stressed thebenefit of fellowship with other believers while in thebattle from Joshua 22. He cautioned that principlemust rule in evaluating the rightness of battle–notpolitics (Gal. 2:11-14). "Think of doing damage toSatan's kingdom and build the Kingdom of God."

Willard Benedict, Summerfield, FL, identified threeareas where the local church is being counterfeited.The counterfeits are those who do not identify whomthey are or what they believe, those who have forsakencongregational church government, and those whoemploy conformity to theworld for popular success.Concluding the messagesand summarizing thetheme, Clay Nuttall,Piedmont Baptist College,Winston-Salem, NC,brought the assembly backto the believer's responsi-bility to trust and obeyGod's truth (I John 5:1-13). He sent the assemblyhome with the encouragement that victory is assuredin Jesus Christ. All of the IBFNA members can claimHis victory by using the Word of God in every aspectof their lives.

Seasons of Prayer . . .Seasons of prayer time were led by Jim Wendorf,Sellersville, PA, and Gary Freel, Boone, IA. Thesewere not the only times of prayer. Informal fellowshipin rooms and hallways often led to supplication to Godwhen urgent needs were made known.

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Carlos DiLeo

Richard Harris

Clay Nuttall

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Warm Fellowship . . .The half-hour breaks between messages, the millingaround the exhibits and the refreshment together atmeals evidenced the enjoyment of being together withloving brothers and sisters in Christ.

With regard to the benefit of fellowship, RobertDelnay, Clearwater, FL, observed, "Whatever else, weappreciated the good fellowship between the meetings.There are not so many convicted separatists left in thiscountry, and where are we to find one another? We areone endangered species that the world would like tosee go extinct. So it was real pleasure to get togetherand compare notes with our friends."

Informative Workshops / Discussions . . .Robert Delnay ("The Dangers of the DeliveranceMovement"), Jeff Bailey, Attleboro, MA, along withJim Singleton, Tempe, AZ, ("Small Groups WithoutCells") shared the fruits of their studies and experi-ences during seminars.

There was a panel discussion regarding membershipqualifications for our Fellowship. Presentations weremade pro and con answering the question, "Shouldmembership be withheld from those who are membersin a GARB church?" One point of view was presentedby Bob Payne, Belleville, MI, and Clay Nuttall andthe other perspective came from Richard Harris andDuane Brown, Brooksville, FL. Bob Payne laterpresented an amendment to the IBFNA Constitutionon the subject at the business session.

TREASURE FROM KANSAS CITY, continued

Jeff Kistler, Pittsburgh, PA, made these observationsabout the discussions and the business session: "Ireally appreciated the spiritual atmosphere andChrist-like fellowship that allowed for discussion,debate, and to 'disagree without being disagreeable.'Really, when you think about it, we talked about somerather 'heavy' and difficult topics. Many of theseissues had the potential of setting the course and thedirection of the IBFNA for years to come. Yet, in themidst of all of this discussion there was always thefeeling of mutual respect and love among the brethren.Being a part of many church and fellowship businessmeetings through the years, I have never seen thedepth of love among brothers and sisters in Christ aswe have had the privilege to see demonstrated in thisrecent conference. We thank the Lord for His greatworking in our midst!"

Consecrated Music . . .The music of the conferences of the IBFNA is distinc-tive. The spiritual tone is uplifting and complementsthe preaching of the Word. Everyone enjoyed singingwith George Zinn, Greenwood, IN, in this year'ssessions, and it is always a blessing to hear him praiseGod in song. Some of the accompanists were LoisTilson, StonyPoint BaptistChurch, KansasCity, KS, andMichelle TilsonVolante, Ghana,Africa. Otherspecial music wasprovided by TimClinkenbeard,Omaha, NE, the George Lovely family, Atchison, KS;John and Lois Tilson, the Ladies Ensemble and LoriReeves of Stony Point Baptist Church.

Political Resolutions . . .The resolutions this year took on a definite politicalflavor. Resolutions about Littleton, CO, the SecondAmendment and Jack Kevorkian were presented andpassed, as you can read on pages 7-9. While there areother spiritual issues around us, the Fellowship hasaddressed most of them in the past.

continued, page four

John & Lois Tilson